Sierra Leone mudslides 'kill more than 1,000'

Local leaders say the death toll from August 14 disaster has passed the 1,000 mark and call for an accurate count.

28 Aug 2017 05:46 GMT

More than 1,000 people have died from the mudslide and flooding that hit Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, nearly two weeks ago, according to a local leader and a minister.

The government had earlier put the death toll for the August 14 mudslide at 450 dead, while rescuers and aid groups warned that many of the more than 600 people missing would likely not survive.

"Over 1,000 perished in the mudslide and flood disaster, and we will never know the exact number now," Elenoroh Jokomie Metzger, the head of the women of Regent, said on Sunday during services honouring the disaster's victims.

Regent is an area on the outskirts of Freetown where the mudslide hit.

Thousands of people living in areas at risk during heavy rains have been evacuated. Aid groups are delivering supplies and helping provide clean water to prevent a health crisis.

Some critics accuse Sierra Leone's government of failing to learn from past disasters in Freetown, where many poor areas are near sea level and lack good drainage. The capital is also plagued by unregulated construction on its hillsides.